Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, has recently indicated that his involvement in the game’s upcoming 1.7 update won’t significantly delay his work on Haunted Chocolatier. Barone mentioned that while he is focusing on this new update, he also aims to maintain his creative input on Haunted Chocolatier. He stated:

“Maybe a little, but not as much as you might think.”

The adjustment in his role allows him to take on more of a ‘creative director’ position, enabling a team to handle the bulk of the updates since version 1.3, which was released back in 2018. Barone emphasized that he wishes to stay directly involved in some aspects, especially regarding the game’s music, while also hoping to keep Haunted Chocolatier on track.

As he further elaborated, the enduring popularity of Stardew Valley keeps him engaged:

“The reality of my life is that I have a very popular first game that I still want to take care of, which means that my second game might take a little longer.”

Although Barone’s dedication to his projects might slow down progress temporarily, he reassured fans that the balance between the two games will remain manageable.